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In my opinion, I think Lexus does everything EXTREMELY well...Including providing a fairly low profile for those who want it. Basically, Lexus' LS430 (two of my friends' parents own new ones, a silver fully loaded one and a black semi-loaded one) offers its owners with this: Luxury, performance, cutting-edge technology, reliability and some stealth. I think the LS' were designed with modesty in mind. The BMWs and Benzes, while they're good cars, they offer their owners a huge status symbol, and the 745s and 760s basically go and grab everyone's attention....they say "hey buddy, i have good taste and the money to back it up, so respect me", while the Lexus slips by relatively unnoticed. That's simply my opinion, and what i like most about the LS430s.

EDIT: i didn't really read over this too well while i was typing it the first time but what i MEANT was not that the Lexus slips by unnoticed....it says the same things....but much quieter, and it takes an owner to hear what its saying.

Gary C

I did a lot of research before my buy, I kinda like the new 5 series but I wanted a something tried and true, the MB's take such a huge hit for resale scared me. So it's Lexus all the way, happy to have my third.

SC400-V8

iTrader: (1)

Acura will never have an engine bigger than 6 cylinders. Many was the time I told an Acura dealer I would never get one of their cars because a luxury car MUST have a V8, period. And they would usually reply with "They make a 6 run like an 8." Nope. A 6 will always be a 6, and an 8 will always be an 8.

Remember for the price of a Brand new RL, you could have a mint condition '00 or '01 LS400 w/ practically no miles... do you think an RL even compares?

LeXGs43Rx3

Well my father was in the situation of deciding between an S500, LS430 or 745Li, and he wisely went with the 745Li. Here are some impressions we had about each car...

LS430...after coming from a GS430, my dad likes to drive the car, not just steer it. Even though the LS has some nice power, the car is extremely dull to drive, I guess it's better off as an old woman's car (no offense to anyone on the board). Next, the styling of the car just didn't do it for him. The LS is wayy too bland, even with the refresh. We look twice when we see a GS pass by, but the LS just doesn't seem to turn heads. The quality of the car obviously is the best, and so is the reliability, but since my dad leases cars, he doesn't have to care about a car's long term reliability (all the cars have no more than 39,000 miles before we return them). The interior was of great quality and had a bunch of features, but it lacked something different....style.

S500...for the money, this car is a complete POS. The exterior is nice, but we see soooo many of them driving around that it doesn't feel special. For the money, the car felt extremely cheap. First of all, the one at the dealer the locks didnt work properly, so I had to manually pull up the lock on the passenger side, just pulling up the lock felt like crap. The lock is very cheap feeling plastic. Come on, if I am spending 100k on a car, your going to give me a cheap plastic lock? Next, the navigation screen is absolutely horrible! The screen is tiny...we were looking to UPGRADE from the GS. The Interior was very traditional, and in basically every way, the LS is better. Driving the car was just as bad, if not worse than the LS. Both felt like you were only steering the car, but the LS felt a bit quicker at least. I would have to say the only thing the S class has over the LS is its exterior style. For those who say "nothing compares to the 3 point blah blah blah", come on, the days of Benz being known as "The Car" is over. You can even pick up a brand new Benz without spending 30k, gimme a break, the prestige of Benz is gone.

745Li...this was our choice of cars, and we feel like our decision was a good one! Now the exterior is "different", I have never thought it was ugly, I just think its something totally different than any other car, which is nice. The car does have some angles which do not look that great, but certain angles of the car (3/4 from the back) just look incredible! The car stands out, and looks a lot more sporty than the LS or the S class. I would say in regard to the exterior, the S Class has a very close number 1, followed by the 7, then the LS. The LS's exterior just lacks the wow factor for us. The interior of this car just cannot be matched in any way at all. The interior is not the traditional interior you will find on the LS or S. The interior is absolutely gorgeous. The quality of the leather, seats, the wood and the flow of the interior is remarkable. I can honestly say I have never seen a nicer interior on a car. Keep in mind, this is with all the optional packages, including the comfort seats for the front and rear. The seats are very comfy and the interior just screams style. Even in the back, the seats feel soo nice, and when you look around you see gorgeous wood, etc. We completely fell in love with the interior. Next, driving the car was unreal! Coming from the GS's sporty ride, and seeing how luxurious this car was, my dad did not expect the driving to match that of the GS. Acceleration wise, the two felt nearly identical, the GS had a tiny bit more kick, but nothing very noticeable. The real treat was on the corners. This is a big car, and as my dad was slowing down through the corners, the salesman told him to drive it just like he would do with his gs. The car handling is amazing! It outhandles the GS, a much smaller car, without any doubt. This is with the optional 19s. The car was truly a great combination of a drivers car and a luxury car, which is what my dad was looking for.

Although we chose the 745, I am sure most people in the market for these cars would go for the LS or S. The 7 is more of a sporty, yet extremely luxurious car. The ride is not as smooth as the LS or S, but for someone who actually wants to DRIVE the car, the 7 is the OBVIOUS choice. The I-Drive is not difficult at all to use, anyone who gets confused by it is a complete idiot. The S500 is a complete joke and a waste of money. It's reliability is probably even worse than the 7 (JD power rated Benz lower than BMW), and there is nothing special about the car besides its exterior. In terms of VALUE, the LS is the winner. Fully done, it is still around 10 grand cheaper than the BMW fully loaded, and the reliability of the LS cannot be touched. If we were actually buying out the car, the LS maybe would have been more of a competitor. But since my dad prefers only leasing his cars (he likes having a new car every 3 years and not having to worry about selling it,etc.), the 10k didn't really affect us, and neither did long term reliability. The 7 isn't for everyone, but it is truly a "different" luxury car...more of a luxury car on steriods!

Gojirra99

Nice little review & I agree with most of what you said.

I too don't care for the exterior styling of the LS nor the 745, but never thought they are ugly cars, and can appreciate that some might like the 745 because it looks different, and to my eyes at least looks better than the new 5 series.

LeXGs43Rx3

Thanks SC...forgot to mention my input on the sound systems...

LS430...we didn't pay too much attention to the sound system, because our GS430 has the ML system . The ML system is exceptional, and is indeed the winner out of the LS, 745 and S-Class (all with premium sound).

The S500's sound system did not sound that great, the average joe can notice a difference between the ML and the system in the S.

The 745 with the Logic 7 system sounded fantastic! I'm being honest when I say it is CLOSE to the ML system. I do not think the average Joe would be able to hear a noticeable difference between the two, but for people really into their music, the ML is a tiny bit better.

Once again, the LS430 is obviously the best value out of the 3 cars, and for one who wants a very smooth ride, total luxury, and doesn't care about the "wow" factor, its the perfect car. For those who want a bit more of a statement, a more sporty ride, the 7 is for you. And for those who are looking into the S500....slap yourself a few times , and if you still feel the same way, proceed to hit yourself against the wall until you come to your senses.......save your cash and take an LS and throw on a kit and you have yourself a winner and a lot of money left in your pocket!

lexusls430

To let you know lex the ML stereo is far superior then that of the GS. It has been tested and shown that the LS430 system is much better and it sounds more live than the gs. Just wanted to let you know.

TwiBlueG35

I picked LS430. It is not better because it is much cheaper. It is better, period.

LeXGs43Rx3

LexusLS...not too sure on that comment from you, you have any links for that? I seriously doubt that it is FAR superior. I am not 100% sure, but I am pretty sure that the two sound systems are identical from component to component. Could be wrong though...either way....ML just owns the competition, the only thing better in the Logic 7 is the bass.

SC400-V8

iTrader: (1)

This is a bit discouraging to the proud owners of lexus's with Nakamichi systems in them. Well, as far as i'm concerned, Nakamichi is #1 because its what my car has.

XeroK00L

Please read the Edmunds stereo evaluation and see for yourself:
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/lexu...alpage=page003

Quote from the article:
"I have an apology to make. Several months ago we road-tested a Lexus GS 430, and I declared, in my infinite wisdom, that the Mark Levinson audio system in that car was the best factory sound system I'd ever heard, end of discussion, don't even ask me. I said don't ask me. I must now retract that statement. The Mark Levinson factory system in this car is now the best I've heard. Automotive journalists are so damn fickle."

Also check out http://www.marklevinsonlexus.com/lev...rcarspecs.html ...there are quite a few differences in the systems between LS430 and GS430.

harris10101

the components might be exactly the same or very similiar, but u have to look at the environment too. The ls has a boxier and larger interior space, which effects the sound, such as if u took an SC with the top down it wud sound better then an SC with the top up..

honda/acura fan

the new a8 is amazing


my 1st preference would be an ls430...however, since audi's are known for poor resale values, i would only get an 04 a8 preowned like in 06

dj.ctwatt

LS430 all the way. . . but if you put an AMG E55 on that poll, the scales might tip. . .
only $80K, performance on par with Ferrari(under 5 second 0-60, 0-160(top speed) in 20 seconds flat, massive brakes, and all the equipment of a normal E class). But the S to me is rip off. I'd rather buy an LS430 and an IS300.

theRain04

The Audi A8L is an awesome car. It is definately IMO, the most attractive of the bunch.. The car has everything. I test drove one a few weeks ago and it was pure perfection. If i was in the market, it would be my top choice over any Lexus, MB, or BMW.